Lost in the Dark
by Arthur Hansen
Summary: Lina loses someone close to her...


Lost in the Dark  
  
-  
  
Copyrights & Disclaimers  
  
All Fan Fictions borrow Characters and often places/situations from the original creators of the work said Fan Fictions are based on. It is only for personal enjoyment, no profit is intended or expected.  
  
Slayers original Japanese copyrights are held by H. Kanzaka, R. Araizumi, Kadokawa, TV Tokyo, and TV Tokyo Medianet. The English copyrights are held by Enoki Films USA, Inc.  
  
-  
  
Thunder crashed close by, turning the wet and cold night into a blinding white and black panorama. The young girl limped onwards. Her hair was slicked down; her cloak soaked clear through. Large baubles of rounded red crystal were wrapped in gold around her wrists and on her shoulder guards. Her leather-clad hands clutched a large sword to her chest.  
  
But it was her eyes that spoke volumes. Grief and pain were etched across her features as the wind roared and slashed rain against her shivering frame. She barely winced as she put weight on her injured foot. The rain lightened for a moment, showing the ruts in the road ahead of her. It seemed like she had been walking forever.  
  
"So, what's a girl like you doing out on a night like this?" boomed a deep voice. A large, bedraggled and rough man stepped out of the forest. Behind him stepped out three more thuggish fellows.  
  
Lina Inverse vaguely noted the presences. Her red eyes had almost seemed to be dimmed to a deep gray, flecked with red. Lift the left foot, put it forward (wince) and then lift the right foot to follow. Again. And again.  
  
"It's a ba-ad night to be out. There are things out there that might hurt a little girl." He cleared his throat. "Say, you could pay us to protect you. We'll take you to the nearest town."  
  
"You... wouldn't be bandits, would you?" Lina said, her voice almost gone. An almost invisible glimmer of anger sparked to life in her eyes.  
  
"Why, us? How right you read us!" the leader said jovially. "So let's not have a problem now."  
  
"Kurgy. Kurgan Laturse. That's you, isn't it?" Lina said slowly, dredging the childhood name up. Her eyes were becoming redder by the moment. The sword clattered to the ground, almost forgotten. Memories of this fellow were drifting to the surface of her mind. Painful images from her last days of... home.  
  
"Eh? Oh, it's Little Lina. Say, we never got to repay you for fireballing us when we wanted your money. You were going to be our first victim!"  
  
The sorceress's lips parted in a snarl. "You... you... started me... on the path of the Bandit Killer. The Dragon Spooker. You lied to the town council and turned my family against me."  
  
"Eh? What are we supposed to do? Say we became bandits and the town wimp blasted us to stop us from robbing her? Get real, Little Lina." Kurgy wiped the water off of his brow. Damn rain. Say, did she say Dragon Spooker?  
  
"I... hate that name. I am... Lina... Inverse... Enemy of All Who Live. And you, Kurgy, made me." A flicker of light grew in her cupped hands. An old fire, that burning hatred, had been lit in her eyes again.  
  
"What are you talking about, Little Lina? You? Lina... Inverse... the Bandit Killer? Oh, crud." Kurgy and his band suddenly realized their terrible error. They had become more skilled in the intervening years, but even in Zefielia, they had heard of the Enemy of All Who Lived. They had wondered why she had never ventured near the town. Now they had a faint glimmering of an idea.  
  
"FIREBALL!" Lina yelled, throwing the spell and catching the bandits by surprise.  
  
With predictable results, the four men were comatose and crisped. Luckily for them, the rain cooled them down, mitigating their burns and waking them up just a few minutes later.  
  
Lina Inverse was far down the path by that time after recovering the sword. The cloud of her depression had retaken her. She almost hadn't noted the town when she walked down its little lane. Small houses and larger buildings lined the row, dark and foreboding.  
  
"Cold. Inn. Food? No." Lina mumbled to herself as she walked down the lane, looking for an open inn or tavern. Warm laughter dragged her slowly down the road. Without even looking at the sign she walked in to the light.  
  
The laughter died, slowly, as one by one, the patrons became aware of the bedraggled girl, cloak torn and ripped pants. All eyes followed her as she limped to an empty table. One hand had a white knuckled grip on the sword. The other shifted the shoulder guards and cloak onto the back of her chair with practiced ease.  
  
The bartender tilted his head. The dark haired girl looked almost familiar.  
  
"Drink." The request carried across the room clearly. Lina's gaze drooped down to the table. She just didn't have the energy to raise it again.  
  
Barton just sighed. He'd seen too many people come in like that. Just wanting to drink their life away. The swinging door to the kitchen opened, letting his waitress in carrying an overloaded platter of food.  
  
The waitress looked around in surprise. All of their attention seemed to be focussed on that hunched over girl dripping on the floor and table.  
  
Barton filled a large mug with ale from a cask and set it on her platter. "She wants a drink." He handed it to her as she slipped it onto the platter.  
  
The talking started up, as the interest in the unusual girl fled. The waitress dropped of the food at two different tables, taking the payment with a quiet smile. She glided over to the loners table. "One Darkwoods Ale. That'll be two silver pennies."   
  
"Sure," Lina mumbled, pulling out a small bag from her cloak and dropping it with a heavy thunk on the table. "Take what you need." A creeping sensation tried to form on her neck, but was overwhelmed by pity, loathing and pain.  
  
The waitress seemed to roll her eyes, even though you couldn't see them under her long bangs. She slid the drink to the small girl. She then opened the bag to reveal a pile of gems and wards, the glittering magic showing in their depths. "Do you have anything smaller?" she asked with mock asperity.  
  
The drenched redhead slammed her drink back, like a pro. She finally saw her waitress as she twirled one of the smallest gems. "L-L-L-L-L-Luna!" Lina shrieked, kicking back away from the table. Her chair teetered for one second, finally crashing to the ground.   
  
The entire room looked on in astonishment, never having seen such a great reaction before. Lina crab-walked backwards while she hyperventilated. Her eyes were big and round, panic easily evident. She had only made it five feet before she slammed her head into a wooden beam that held up the ceiling.  
  
"Lina?" Luna stuttered in surprise. What was her sister doing here? Her countenance darkened. What did she think she was doing, coming back here? She knew better!  
  
Fear, pain and loss were finally too much for the young woman. Crying, she dragged herself back the fallen sword. "J-just leave me alone." She clutched the sword to her chest. "All I want is a drink and someplace to sleep."  
  
The bartender's frown mimicked the crowds. "I thought your sister wasn't ever coming back? We don't need her sort here."  
  
"Lay off, Bart. I don't think she's here to cause problems." This time, Luna added silently to herself. She slowly crouched over the girl who was hugging what appeared to be a fairly normal sword. "Hey, Sis." Her only response was a muffled sob.  
  
Even Barton was having a hard time keeping his old anger firm. "Just get her out of here. You can have the evening off."  
  
"Sure. Thanks, Bart." Luna reached out and touched the girl's shoulder. "Come one, Lina."  
  
Overwhelming fear rose up at the touch, fighting against numbing pain. But Luna wasn't dragging her kicking and screaming down to the Pit. Maybe... maybe she wasn't going to hurt her. Maybe... With a sob, Lina launched herself at her older sister, holding on to her with desperate strength. "Oh, Sis. He's dead. And I wasn't even there for him."  
  
Luna felt a cold fear wash over her. What could cause such a radical change in Lina, the little terror known as her kid sister? Uncomfortably, she returned the hug. "Come on, Lina. Let's get you to bed."  
  
Lina just sobbed, letting Luna lead her around. Luna for the most part was confused. This must have been some guy, if it had Lina in tears like so. She hefted the almost drowned looking girl into her arms, carrying her as easily as if she were a baby. Lina' rumpled cloak and shoulder guards were grabbed and the two disappeared into the rain.  
  
An old man scratched his bald head in bemusement. With a shrug he went over and looked at the bag. "Yup, hasn't change a bit. Still robbing people. You'd think she'd learn."  
  
"What do you mean, Warry?" a tall, thin, academic looking fellow said. He pushed up his glasses to look at the older man.  
  
"That Little Linna is trouble. We caught her thieving and gave her the old heave ho. Don't hanker for that sort of problem in our town." Warry lifted his tankard and saluted, then drained it.  
  
"Ah. And that was her sister?" His glasses reflected the firelight, yellows and reds flickering ominously.  
  
"Yup. Luna Inverse. Quite a gal. Needs a husband. Why'd you ask, Otto?"  
  
Otto blinked. Did he just say Inverse? "So that would have been... Lina Inverse."  
  
Warry blinked rheumetically. "Er? So?"  
  
Several of the other bar patrons had turned to listen to the outlander historian. Barton nodded as he cleaned a glass.  
  
"I had heard that Lina Inverse had come from around here. Just imagine the stories that you could learn about the famed and dangerous Lina Inverse. The Bandit Killer. The Dragon Spooker. The Enemy of All Who Live!" Otto seemed to be almost beside himself in happiness. The crowd around him seemed stunned. "It's even rumored that she helped kill a part of old Ruby Eye himself, although that is probably just exaggeration! No one can be that powerful."  
  
"You must be talking about another Lina. That one ain't been a bit of good since her mother passed away."  
  
Otto deflated. "I was so hoping. Were there any other girls named Lina Inverse from Zefielia?"  
  
Slowly the men looked back and forth, slowly shaking their heads. There had only ever been one family of the Inverses; and they had only two daughters.  
  
"Well, maybe my information was wrong. After all, that waitress sure didn't look a thing like a Knight of Ceiphied." Otto beamed and took a swig of his drink.  
  
Everyone just stared at Otto. How had he known that? And how did that relate to the little girl known as Lina Inverse?  
  
-  
  
Lina woke up to what she thought was a nightmare. To anyone else, it would look like a normal girl's room. Small dolls were lined up, awards for spell casting on the walls and bright yellow ribbons laying on the little table. She started to hyperventilate, eyes flashing left and right.  
  
Suddenly, an incongruity realized itself in her mind. Her amplifiers and cloak sat on a chair, totally out of place in her childhood home.  
  
"That's right. I'm... home," Lina mused to herself. She found it odd, that even after so long and after so much had happened, that this was still home.  
  
A few minutes later, she walked down the stairs, following the elusive scent of breakfast. She slid into her normal seat slowly, leaning the large sword up the wall. Her mind was cataloging the changes to the kitchen. Just a few small things.  
  
"I was beginning to think that you were going to sleep until noon, sleepyhead." Luna walked in from the living room and slid the pots closer to the hot part of the stove.  
  
Lina paled, her grip becoming white-knuckled on the edge of table.  
  
Luna heard the stressed wood creak and looked over her shoulder. Unseen eyes seemed to scrutiny her younger sister with an intensity that was unrivaled by even powerful Mazuko. "Relax. Nothing's gonna happen right now."  
  
The red haired girl started to breath again. Plates of food started to appear in front of her, almost magically. Luna nodded in understanding when Lina just started to nibble, very uncharacteristically.  
  
"Wanna talk?"  
  
Linna just looked down at the table top. "About what?'  
  
"Him. Why you came back?"  
  
Linna seemed to sag deeper into herself. "He... he was the best traveling companion that I'd ever had. Not too smart, but he was really loyal." She blushed for a second. "He was dashing and handsome, coming to my rescue. Once he found out I was a sorceress, we just kind of ended up together."  
  
"So what happened?" Luna asked as she cleaned some dishes.  
  
"I... it was that time of the month. I'd hurt my ankle and we'd had to stop in a town. Normally, I'd just get Zel or Amelia to heal it, but they had to go do their own things for a while. Since I couldn't walk, Gourry went to get a healer in the next town." Lina's voice almost broke. "I'd just bought him a new sword. The next morning, a wagoneer came into town. It was no big deal. I came out with everyone else to see what was going on. He... he had a body, wrapped up in a blanket. I wasn't worried." Tears started to stream down in small rivulets. "Then the merchant pulled out Gourry's new sword. I don't remember much. I think he said something about an avalanche. I... kinda freaked out."  
  
"So how come you came home?"  
  
"Really didn't mean to. I just cast a Ray Wing and flew off into the forest until it failed. Then I just wandered. Knew I was pretty close, but I didn't mean to come... back."  
  
Luna opened her mouth to ask another question, when shouts could be heard out front.  
  
-  
  
"Come on out! Come out you little hellion! We warned you what would happen if you came back."  
  
A crowd of forty men had gathered out in front. Out in front of the other houses, wives and children watched on, morbidly drawn to the mob scene.  
  
"We don't need you and your thieving ways here!" a blacksmith shouted, as he waved his hammer threateningly.  
  
"You aren't back even one day and you're already robbing our innocent townsfolk!" an ancient man managed to warble out.  
  
"I'm not gonna protect you Lina. If you broke the law, you gotta pay." Luna glowered over her much smaller and petite sister.  
  
"I haven't stolen nothing!" Lina snapped back, anger overcoming her fear for just a moment.  
  
"Got nothing to fear then." Luna stood up and walked to the front door. "Come on."  
  
Lina reluctantly followed her onto the porch. The sun was shining brightly. Lina felt an odd sense of d‚j… vu. It had been a bright spring the last time, too.  
  
And look at how that had ended up? She'd been exiled for thieving and banditry!  
  
"There she is!" a man in a baker's apron yelled.  
  
"What is going on!?" Luna yelled out, silencing them all.  
  
"She robbed four of our fine upstanding boys last night!"  
  
"They tried to rob me last night. I blasted them to teach them a lesson. I didn't even stop to take their stuff like I do when I fry bandits." It's going to happen again. They're going to exile me again. All because of Kurgy and his band's lies.  
  
"That is a lie! Who do you believe, us or that trouble magnet?" Kurgy yelled, bandages wrapped theatrically around his head and hands.  
  
An ancient man tapped his ornate staff on the ground suddenly. Everyone turned to him in obvious surprise. "What were you doing out in the rainstorm, Kurgy?" the Mayor asked.  
  
The surprised young man gaped for a moment as his mind worked over time to come up with a good excuse. "Er, Toddy had lost one of his sheep again. Took us a while to track it down." His gaze turned fierce. "We ran into her on the way back to the bar."  
  
"Yeah!" his boys chorused.  
  
"Hmm. That seems to happen quite a bit, doesn't it." The bushy eyebrows seemed to twitch in thought.  
  
The crowd started to murmur in surprise. Something was up. The Mayor was questioning their story.  
  
"I call for a test of truth! Let each party pick a champion!" the mayor raised his staff up at his pronouncement.  
  
"But she'll just fireball him again! That isn't fair!" Toddy shouted.  
  
"Then it shall be a test of steel. No magic, no interference! Declare your champions!"  
  
Kurgy grinned evilly. "I'll be our champion!"  
  
Lina just stared mutely at the ground for a second. Her answer was to unsheathe Gourry's sword. Her heart rose up a little bit at their first blocked blow. She was no expert of course, but she could swing a mean sword when needed. The crowd formed a circle around them.  
  
Kurgy suddenly laughed, his sword moving in a dazzling pattern. Rips appeared in her clothes and with the final swing of his sword disarmed her.  
  
"I guess this shows the world who the villain really is, doesn't it?" Kurgy said, holding the sword up to her neck.  
  
The disarmed sword still spun through the air, light glittering off of it in sparks and rays. Most eyes followed it until it was snapped to a halt by a deft grip.  
  
"Say, you could have hurt someone flinging it around like that! Lucky I was right here to catch my sword!" a chirpy voice said.  
  
"G-Gourry?" Lina squeaked. Her eyes narrowed suddenly! "Gourry is my protector! He is my Champion!" She was never so happy to say that. The ground rumbled in a sudden symphony of greeting even as the air became as still as a placid pool of water.  
  
A murmur erupted in the crowd. She had a champion?  
  
"Sure, no problem, Lina!" His smile seemed to almost gleam. "Say, what am I Championing?"  
  
"These guys accused me of stealing from them!" Lina said; her voice calm and detached. It was going to be different this time! She had friends. Real friends, not just people who were willing to let her hang out.  
  
"They what?" Anger snapped in that simple question.  
  
"Hey, the challenge is over!" Kurgy said suddenly. He had a strange feeling in his gut as he looked at the blonde swordsman.  
  
"No, it is not." The Mayor stood at the edge. His voice was rough and gravelly. "I have not declared the winner. Lina Inverse has declared her Champion! Let the challenge begin!"  
  
Kurgy looked at the mayor, murder hidden deep within. He'd be next. Kurgy turned to Gourry and launched into a blinding pattern of attacks. Zefielia trained the best swordsmen in the world, though most didn't bother leaving home. It just wasn't a challenge.  
  
"Say, you're pretty good!" Gourry exclaimed happily.  
  
Kurgy blinked in amazement at his nonchalance. Who was this fellow? "You're good, no doubt! But I have just begun to fight!"  
  
"Great! I haven't had a real challenge in a long time!"  
  
The crowed oohed in appreciation of the high-speed blurs and clanks. Kurgy was starting to sweat profusely. Who was this guy? His skill was insane! And that sword wasn't even nicked. He began to feel awe at who he was fighting.  
  
Gourry sighed. "Wish I had my old sword! I really miss it. This one just isn't the same!" He increased his speed slightly. Guess he really wasn't that good after all.  
  
"What was that?" Kurgy said, even though it cost him his breath. Cuts started to appear in his clothes.  
  
"Oh? Just the Sword of Light. I'm hungry, so I'm going to finish this fight. Okay?" Gourry proved that his words were as good as his deeds, his sword disarming him in one fell swoop.  
  
The ground gasped in shock. Kurgy had been defeated! By their laws, he was now the one that had to prove his innocence.  
  
"Say, Lina? Why'd you run off yesterday? It took forever for me to catch up to you!" Gourry asked as he sheathed his sword and walked over towards her.  
  
He was startled when the young woman collided into him, hugging him fiercely. She seemed to be unable to say anything, her head buried in his chest.  
  
"Er, Lina? You all right?" Gourry asked, confused at her atypical reaction.  
  
A minute later, Lina looked up, her tear streaked face smiling. "I'm fine. Now." She wasn't going to let him go now.  
  
Lina suddenly felt Gourry stiffen even as she heard a meaty thump.   
  
"Kill them all," Kurgy shouted, pulling the knife out of the swordsman's back. "Shadow's Heart Gang, Attack!"  
  
Yelling roared back in response, as from over a hundred voices. Rough and tough looking men poured out of hiding, shooting bows into the crowd and at anyone that moved.  
  
"Gourry! No, not again!" Lina shouted as Gourry collapsed onto her, dragging her down.  
  
"That wasn't very sporting," Gourry muttered weakly.  
  
"Who cares about that!" Lina shouted at him. She turned him over to check his wound, shutting out the world. Her blood ran cold as she saw how much blood was already flowing. He'd been stabbed right through the heart!  
  
People screamed and ran. The mayor screamed as a dozen arrows pierced him. Wind whirled around the elder Inverse, spinning arrows away from her. Dragon-headed-like beams of energy shot from her hands, rushing into her house and back out with armor and a sword.  
  
"Sorry, Lina. I... failed you. Supposed to protect..."  
  
Lina felt the numbing coldness again. The sense of loss and despair at not being able to help him was chilling her soul. Why couldn't she do something, anything? It was too much like... No, that memory was too painful. Even now... it just hurt her to remember how weak in healing she had always been.  
  
She snarled suddenly. That was because she wasn't there to help him. She was here. Damn, where were Amelia or Sylphiel? They were the real healers, not her.  
  
Sylphiel... that was it. If Sylphiel could cast the Dragon Slave...  
  
Kurgy smiled as he saw his band devastating the town and its people. They'd become too lax, thinking that they were a superior breed. That their land was too good to be corrupted. But in the last five years, the Shadow's Heart had grown strong. Strong and cruel.  
  
Abruptly, the back of his neck started to tingle. "Lina! Where is she?" he said suddenly, looking around for the sorceress that he surmised would be casting a spell of retribution. "What is that?" He turned a gaped, the force of the spell weighing on his mind, making him unable to think or act.  
  
That, was Lina Inverse who was kneeling over the fallen Gourry, bluish white light rising off of her in crystal sparks. "...to nurture and protect from all harm... RESURECTION!"  
  
The sun seemed to dim, being out shown by the beam of light that came from the sky. A bar of solid white energy slammed into the prone swordsman. Gourry's eyed opened as feeling came back into his body with a roar. Pure white light was all around, making the scene too vivid to be watched for more than a moment.  
  
The spell ended and with it, the normal sunlight resumed its hold. A quiet stillness held the town for a moment.  
  
"Wow!" Gourry said suddenly. "I didn't know you could cast that spell!"  
  
"Behind you!" shouted Luna, a glowing light appearing in her free hand. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed a fireball at a bunched up group of bandits.  
  
Lina felt herself picked up and moved to the side, the sound of metal striking metal awakening her from her daze. She felt so tired and weak, her hair faded. But for the first time in seeming ages, she had her trademark smile on her face. "Say, Gourry, this is that band of bandits we've been looking for so long. Shall we show them why we deserve our reputation as bandit hunters?"  
  
"Sure, Lina!" Gourry replied, his sword flickering in front of him as he fought against Kurgy again. The bandit leader was holding his own for just a second. But he was already pulling back, letting others step up.  
  
"FIREBALL!" Lina shouted, throwing a fireball that scorched five more bandits. The young sorceress grunted in almost painful exhaustion. So weak. So tired.  
  
Suddenly, from up in the air, a voice called out loudly, "Preying on the weak and attacking the innocent is wrong! In the name of Justice and Peace, I shall punish you!" The princess of Saillune posed for just a moment as she flew into view. "Take that, evil bandits! Dill Brand! How dare you attack my friends!"  
  
Lina suddenly grinned, her hope renewed. "You guys are so toast, you don't even realize it!" Her avid and moving gaze easily spotted a group of bandits that had retreated to bow range to try and skewer her and Gourry. "Flare Bit!" She stumbled, wondering why it was getting overcast.  
  
Gourry nodded in acknowledgment as he defeated three more swordsmen. Lightning bolts flew out as several of the town's merchants started casting spells. Lightning bolts that engulfed the six bandits that had been charging him. "Wow! Thanks!"  
  
Kurgy couldn't believe his eyes, as his band of bandits, the roughest, toughest and most successful group of bandits that had ever existed in Zefielia, was being soundly defeated. With a snarl, he cast a spell around him. "Shadows Cloak."  
  
And with his retreat, the battle against the Shadow's Heart bandits ended.  
  
Lina smiled and raised her fist in triumph. Then she collapsed bonelessly, her hair whiter than snow.  
  
-  
  
"Lina!" Gourry yelled, charging and catching her before she struck the ground. "Come on, Lina. Don't scare me like that!"  
  
"Miss Lina!" Amelia shouted as she landed, stumbling several steps to a halt. Her hand glowed for a second. "Her life force is dangerously low."   
  
Gourry smiled in relief at the young woman. "You can help her, right?"  
  
The young princess's face froze. "No. She... has to pull through on her own." Not quite true, but she couldn't do that to her father. Not after Mother and her sister had to... leave.  
  
"How can I protect her? I'm supposed to be her protector." Anguish flowed from Gourry, a terrible wound of the heart.  
  
"You could only help her if you were her betrothed or married to her." Luna stood regally to the side, her sword red and dripping with blood.  
  
"But we never... I couldn't... She would have... No. There has to be some way," Gourry said determinedly. He picked her up, holding her close to his chest. "Can't you cast a spell to fix her? I have to save her."  
  
Luna looked at the young man, her expression inscrutable. "The only spell that I know would kill the person who was trying to give of their own life force."  
  
"So? Will it save her?" Gourry demanded.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then what are you waiting for? Cast it on me. I'm supposed to protect her. It's my duty," the young swordsman said plaintively. He knelt down on the ground, laying Lina on his lap.  
  
"Mr. Gourry!" Amelia shouted in fear.  
  
The Knight of Ceiphied sheathed her sword in six inches of dirt. "There is a chance that it won't kill him. It is his choice." Luna put her hand on Gourry's forehead. Little motes of light danced from her fingertips, flowing over and across him.  
  
The warrior tensed as he felt his soul being pulled and stretched. With a scowl of determination, he put his faith in the Luna Inverse, pushing with all of his might to help Lina instead of resisting Luna's magic. His body sagged limply, even as his grip did not waver.  
  
With a soft crack of energy, Luna held a glowing sphere of energy. Her mouth opened in surprise at the great power and trust that had been shown, but quickly she started to sing tones of an unearthly choir of inhuman magic without pause.  
  
The circle of people flocked over to watch the tense tableau that was unfolding in front of them. Suddenly, all of them were driven back, as the full force of Luna Inverse's gaze fell upon them. Her rarely open eyes emitted the blinding brilliance of twin novas, seeming to scorch all with the fierce draconic power of the Flare Dragon Ceiphied.  
  
Amelia shaded her eyes, awed at the power contained therein. The ground rumbled and shook as etheric waves crashed over reality shores.  
  
Suddenly, the light went out again without a sound, leaving the area in the relative darkness of noon sunshine.  
  
"Wha happaan?" Lina said groggily, red color flowing into her hair like a stream of water. "Gourry?" Lina raised her hand to his cheek, a soft glow coming from her hand.  
  
"Lina, you have to follow my... what?" Luna blinked in surprise. She was already unconsciously releasing part of Gourry's soul back into his body, without instruction.  
  
Gourry's comatose body suddenly took a wrenching breath, his eyes opening with agonizing slowness. "Hey, it worked!"  
  
"What worked, you dummy?" the diminutive sorceress asked with a fond tone.  
  
"We saved you! You cast too much magic again!" Gourry put on his scolding face.  
  
Lina grabbed a lock of her hair and looked at it. "No, it's red! See?" She missed grabbing the single white lock of hair above her eyes.  
  
"It was white. Really white. We weren't sure you were going to make it. This lady cast a spell to let me help you."  
  
Lina turned and looked up, fear suddenly blossoming on her face. "L-Luna!" Her gripped tightened dangerously on Gourry's arm, the bones grating. But she didn't fall into full-blown panic. Within Gourry's protective grip, she calmed down and almost smiled. "Thanks, Sis."  
  
"No prob." Luna just watched the two from behind her bangs which hid her eyes.  
  
"That's your sister? You're much smaller..." Gourry was interrupted by a loud, double growl that came from the duo, their hands clapping to their offending stomachs. "Wow, I'm really hungry."  
  
Lina giggled. "Me too. Say, Luna, is there more breakfast left?"  
  
"Make yourself at home. I'll be right back. Got some unfinished business to deal with." With a flash of light, she disappeared.  
  
"Food!" the duo, plus Amelia, crowed aloud. With a shocking suddenness that startled the onlookers, they ran into the Inverse house. The door slammed shut, rattling the entire house.  
  
Behind them, the towns people healed their wounded and started tying up the bandits.  
  
-  
  
Kurgy swallowed his anger. There would be other times, other places to take his revenge against Lina Inverse. He just had to get away. All of a sudden, a blinding light flew overhead. "What was that?" he muttered to himself, his voice suddenly strained and taught.  
  
In front of him, the light suddenly dropped down to the level of the ground. "You didn't think you could escape, now did you?"  
  
"Luna Inverse." He shifted his sword stance, lowering the point and charging. He'd kill one problem today or die!  
  
Suddenly, she just disappeared!  
  
The Knight of Ceipheid hid her gaze as she walked away. It would probably take the bandit centuries to starve to death in his slow time. He could not affect anything not already on him.  
  
Behind her, the almost frozen figure continued his mad charge that would last at least a month. It would probably take him a year to realize what had happened to him.  
  
Just because you were a good guy doesn't mean that you are nice. Villains and murderers deserved no mercy.  
  
-  
  
Amelia actually kept up with the two over enthusiastic eaters for a few minutes, she was that hungry. But in a very short time, she had satiated her hunger, while Lina and Gourry had barely wetted their appetite. At the moment they were fighting over a large turkey leg.  
  
"Yo, Lina. Quit acting like a pig," Luna said as she walked by on her way to the stove. Her hand slapped the back of Lina's head in passing.  
  
Lina reflexively let go of the leg, letting Gourry finish it off. Getting a hold of her fright, she smashed Gourry to the ground with a single fist. "Stop embarrassing me in front of my family!"  
  
"Huh? Oh, sorry." Gourry continued to munch on the leg, actually taking the time to savor the taste as he sat up.  
  
"You're Gourry Gabriev?" Luna asked pointedly. She was quickly and methodically preparing more food. They'd both be hungry.  
  
"Yup!"  
  
"You got something you want to ask me? About Lina?"  
  
Gourry thought about that a second. He snuck a glance at Lina and then responded. "Er, I was going to talk to her father."  
  
"What? Why do you need to talk to Father?" Lina demanded. She felt a stab of pain in her heart. That was something else she didn't want to bring up.  
  
"He wasn't talking to you. Sit down an' shut up. Father's dead. I'm head of the family."  
  
The younger sister froze. She hadn't, couldn't have heard that right. Father's dead? Her elation at trouncing the bandits and finding out Gourry was alive popped like a little balloon.  
  
"Well, um, no need to..."  
  
Gourry's fumbling words brought her back to the present. Lina's face started to turn crimson. He wasn't really going to ask... that... was he? Her face suddenly paled at the thought of her older sister tormenting her by disallowing it. Her stomach seemed to become as heavy as lead. She... she wasn't going to let her sister ruin her happiness. Even if she had to fight her with everything she had.  
  
"Spit it out." Luna couldn't believe these two.  
  
Gourry snapped a pleading look at Lina, who was busy trying to gather her courage. He looked over Amelia, who just had a blank, uncomprehending expression. Finally, he looked up at Luna. "I, uh, want to seek permission to, er, woo..."  
  
"Sure. You've been a good influence."  
  
"Really?" Lina and Gourry chorused out in unified relief. Lina nearly swooned. Far too many things had been happening today for her emotions.  
  
"Lina and Gourry? Wow! It's sure been a long time coming!" Amelia said happily.  
  
"Lina? Who is this?" Luna seemed to give the impression of looking over the youngest princess of Saillune.  
  
"Um, this is Amelia wil Tesla Saillune, Crown Princess and sometime traveling companion. Amelia, this is Luna Inverse, Knight of Flare Dragon Ceipheid."  
  
Amelia waved hello and then suddenly blinked in surprise. Did she just say...?  
  
"Pleased to meetcha. Been going up in the world since you left."  
  
Lina nodded carefully.  
  
"Don't let it go to your head. Or I'll have to take you mushroom hunting."  
  
Lina went absolutely pale. "N-No. That's all right." She gulped convulsively. "Did you ever get rid of... them?"  
  
Luna shrugged. "Mostly. Hard to get rid of all of the slugs."  
  
The red haired sorceress started to shiver. A light weight from Gourry's hand on her shoulder worked to let her calm herself down. Only Luna noticed that his hand glowed slightly. She frowned at that. That wasn't supposed to happen after the spell had run its course.  
  
"T-That's good."  
  
"Say, why don't you talk to the town council and the Mayor. See if they're gonna drop that stupid exile and all. It's real obvious that Kurgy and his boys were the real villains."  
  
Lina didn't trust herself to talk and just nodded.  
  
"Good. See you around, Sis."  
  
-  
  
Lina sighed in relief as she stepped out of her sister's house. It was odd to think of it that way, but without her parents, that was the way things went.  
  
"Are you all right?" Gourry asked, taking in her subdued demeanor.  
  
"Yes... No. Too much has happened in the last two days. My head feels like it's stuffed with cotton." Lina took a quick breath, looking up at the tall swordsman. "I... thought I'd lost you. Again. And... I just found out that my father is... gone."  
  
"Oh. I'm really sorry to hear about that. Well, I'll always be here for you! I take my job as protector seriously."  
  
"I don't need someone to protect me! I can take care of myself!"  
  
"Um, I know that you can protect yourself. But I swore that I'd always be there to protect you!"  
  
Lina looked at her toes self-consciously. "I know." She wandered off around the back of the house, towards the outskirts of town. "Why... do you really stay with me?"  
  
"I swore that-"  
  
"Gourry. Is that the only reason?" She seemed to be in a pensive mood, unusually subdued.  
  
"Well, no." Gourry seemed to think for a second. "I really like being with you. It just wouldn't seem right not to travel with you."  
  
"We have done a lot together, haven't we?" Lina murmured to herself.  
  
"Yup. I was never so scared as that time with Fiztby and I'd thought you'd... you know..."  
  
"It was Fibrizo. Hellmaster Fibrizo."  
  
Gourry laughed nervously. "Oh, yeah. My silly."  
  
"You're not dumb. Not really. You're just... you see things simpler and you're terrible with names. You always seem to not worry about things until it's needed." Lina stopped her walking to sit under a tree. You could barely see the steeples of the town off in the distance.  
  
"Who are you? And what did you do with Lina?" Gourry said, in seeming seriousness.  
  
"Why you! FIRE-"  
  
"Wait! Wait! I believe you!" Gourry cowered for a second, finally peeking through his finger to see Lina just sitting there, seemingly in the middle of her spell. Her hands were cupped around nothingness.  
  
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" she demanded to know.  
  
"Well, kind of. Yeah."  
  
She patted the ground next to her. "Grrr. That was a cheap trick!"  
  
"Do you feel better?" Gourry sat down next to her.  
  
"No." She leaned up against him, surprising him greatly. "Gourry?" she asked quietly, her voice small and uncertain.  
  
"Er, yes?"  
  
"Do you think I'm-"   
  
"Lina Inverse," a gravelly voice said with no particular inflection from behind her.  
  
"Mr. Jonurse!" Lina looked over at the imposing smith.  
  
"You are wondering about the exile that you are under?" he asked calmly.  
  
Gourry looked around. The town looked quite normal. Beside him, the petite sorcereress nodded timidly.  
  
"We don't have that authority to revoke your exile, of course. Only the king does, you know that. We can, however, inform the king about Kurgy and his band. He will have to make the judgment then." He smiled suddenly. "Of course, contesting the exile is one of the few ways of being allowed with Zephelia." He turned and left.  
  
"So we get to meet another king?" Gourry asked.  
  
"Well, I guess so." Lina didn't notice it herself, but she was wavering a bit from her weakness.  
  
"Why don't we go and rest up at your sister's place? You don't look so hot."  
  
Lina snarled at the perceived insult, trying to lash out with her fist at his smug seeming face. As if that was a signal, her consciousness swam away on dark tides of morpheus.   
  
-  
  
"Good morning, Lina!" Amelia chirped as a greeting when Lina walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Morning," Lina replied. There wasn't much good about it, in her mind.  
  
"You're looking better!" Gourry exclaimed. "You really over did it yesterday."  
  
Lina blushed as she remembered some of yesterday's event. "Um, yeah."  
  
"So, Lina? What are you up to?" Luna asked from the stove, still busily preparing a large breakfast for ten.  
  
"Well, if I want this stupid exile lifted, I have to go and talk to the king."  
  
Luna dropped her spoon with a clatter. Without seemingly missing a beat she picked it back up. "I don't know that it's a good idea."  
  
"It's what I have to do."  
  
She should be fine, Luna thought to herself. It's not like she knows, after all. Time to change the subject. "So, Gourry, how did you meet my little sister?"  
  
"Oh, she looked like she was about to get robbed by some bandits so I stepped in and rescued her! I was looking to make a name for myself and rescuing damsels seemed to be the ticket!" Gourry looked quite pleased with himself.  
  
"I can't believe you thought I was a little kid!" Lina cried out.  
  
"Well, it wasn't my fault. You aren't exactly well developed, you know!"  
  
"FIRE-"  
  
"Lina! No magic in the house. Or fighting!"  
  
"But-"  
  
"No."  
  
Lina wilted for a moment, but then gave a torrid glare at Gourry. Just he wait until they were outside.  
  
"Then we got into that big fight with Sabbybingo and we managed to kill him. It was a great adventure!"  
  
"Was he really hiding within Rezo's eyes?" Luna asked.   
  
Amelia could only blink in astonishment. She'd heard the rumors, but she had thought it was just hyperbole.  
  
"Yup. After that, I started traveling with Lina to be her protector-"  
  
"What made you say that?" Luna interrupted. Why that term?  
  
"Dunno. Just seemed right. Besides, Lina was wanting my sword for some reason. I didn't understand that. She just expected me to hand it over."  
  
No... way! Her blood couldn't be that telling, could it? Luna thought incredulously.  
  
"Wow! That's almost like those old stories of Zephelia's nobility!" Amelia exclaimed happily. "There used to be these stories about how their princesses would take their knight's sword to take them into their service! The knight would be allowed to use it, but it was always in the understanding that he carried the sword and fought for her. It was just so romantic!"  
  
"Really? I didn't know that," Gourry said as Luna started to put plates in front of them.  
  
"It's gone out of favor since the change over in the royal line, but it used to be the only way it was done. It's part of the reason that Zephelia is rumored to be so strong, because only blooded warriors could marry into the noble families."  
  
This girl had a head for amazing trivia, Luna thought to herself.  
  
"Wow, I didn't even know that," Lina exclaimed. "How did you learn about that?"  
  
"Oh, it was in this wonderful novel about the last princess of the Vinrese royal line. It was sooooo romantic," Amelia said, sighing loudly.  
  
"Hey! That's almost like the reverse of Inverse!" Gourry exclaimed. He gulped down a bite of the wonderful pancake that was in front of him.  
  
Everyone at the table was startled as a plate smashed into the floor loudly. "How did-?" Luna started to burst out in surprise, cutting herself off too late.  
  
"No way! Sis, say it isn't so!" Lina exclaimed.   
  
Amelia was caught up in her thoughts. That was an incredible coincidence.  
  
"Of course not. It's just an amazing happenstance, that's all. It's not like you couldn't date Gourry without giving him a sword." That aught to quell that line of thought.  
  
"But... I couldn't really approach him until I bought his new sword. It just never... seemed right." Lina looked perplexed. She had always known she had feelings for Gourry, but it never seemed the proper time to talk to him.  
  
"That sounds about right," Gourry agreed. "See? This is the sword I got!" He held up the sheathed blade.  
  
"That's mine! You're just using it!" Lina snapped out.  
  
Luna's mouth gaped wider than she would have thought.  
  
Gourry thought shrewdly for just a second. "Sure! I'll always fight for you!"  
  
"Ah... I know you will. You're always there... when I need you." Lina was blushing beet red, almost matching her hair.  
  
Luna was startled when Amelia spoke directly to her. "Your family is the Vinrese, isn't it? You just reversed it, inversed it a bit so to say, to change it! But I'd heard that current ruling family ordered the last Vinrese killed for crimes against the crown?"  
  
"Sis?" Lina looked quite confused.  
  
Luna quirked a sad smile. She hadn't expected that particular bit of history to come out now. "You're right. Our family did reverse its name when we went out incognito. Our father loved to go out adventuring under the name of Brys Inverse. That's why he could hide out in this village with our mother. Everyone here knew him before the coup even happened. That's why the Kinesse never found him."  
  
"So we're princesses?" Lina couldn't believe her ears.  
  
"No, father never tried to form a counter-coup. Too many lives had already been lost and he saw that the Kinesse were decent rulers that had a legitimate claim. He wrote in his diary that war was not a good enough reason to put a metal hat on his head."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Oh, and congratulations you two. By old Zephelian law, you're now engaged." Luna couldn't restrain a smirk at their expense.  
  
"We are?" they exclaimed in shock.  
  
"Yup."  
  
Lina blushed at the stammering swordsman. She managed to regain her composure finally. Looking very serious, she asked her sister, "Luna, where was Father buried?"  
  
"By Mother. Silly goose."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Gourry noted Lina's uneasy stance as she stood up. "Do you want me to go with you?" he asked.  
  
Lina nodded, thankful that she hadn't had to let herself be weak and ask for him to go with her. She led him out behind the house and up the hill. Under a large tree, about a dozen gravestones were set in the hill. The youngest daughter stopped there, blinking back tears with all her effort.  
  
She was almost startled out of her mind when Gourry put his arm around her. Lina bit her lip, trying to fight back her tears. The blond swordsman seemed to sense that she needed to cry, so cradled her close enough to let loose her sorrow.  
  
-  
  
"So, we're off to see the King?" Gourry asked again.  
  
Lina gritted her teeth. "Yes, we are. For the tenth time."  
  
Amelia shaded her eyes. "And there it is. Race you!" she shouted as she took off.  
  
"Hey! No fair!" Lina shouted as she took off after flighty princess.  
  
"Wait up!" Gourry shouted.   
  
It took them almost no time to get to the mighty gates of Castle Zephelia.  
  
"I win!" Lina crowed.  
  
Amelia blew her singed hair out of her eyes. "That wasn't fair, fireballing us like that!"  
  
"Ha! You never said no spells!"  
  
One of the guards at the gates suppressed a smiled. "Excuse me? What business brings you to Castle Zephelia this fine day?"  
  
Gourry blinked. He started to scratch his head as the guards watched him while the girls bickered about the race. "I'm sorry, I can't remember. Hey, Lina? Why are we here again?"  
  
WAM! The blond's head slammed into the ground painfully. "I'm here to get my exile lifted, mush for brains! I can't believe you've already forgotten!" Lina turned back to the guards instantly, shifting her demeanor to that of a cute and innocent girl. "I'm Lina Inverse. I have to see the King to get an unjust exile lifted."  
  
The guards blinked in astonishment. "Er, Lina Inverse?"  
  
"That's me!" she said, almost giggling.  
  
"THE Lina Inverse?" one guard asked nervously.  
  
"Enemy of all who live?" the other guard asked.  
  
"Dragon Spoo-"  
  
"That's enough! Just take me to see the king already!" Lina shouted. It looked like she was almost breathing fire.  
  
"Right! I think we can give her a priority meeting! Georgin, it's your turn to escort the guests to the king."  
  
"But-!"  
  
The first officer talked right over the hapless fellow. "I'm pulling rank. Escort them immediately. Or else."  
  
"Else what?" the other guard said sulkily.  
  
"I tell your girlfriend where you were last Tuesday."  
  
"That's low! Even for you!"  
  
The guards were suddenly interrupted by Gourry's shout of, "No, Lina! Don't fireball them!" The swordsman tackled the petite woman to the ground.  
  
"Just once! They won't find the bodies!"  
  
Gourry just pulled her to her feet. "I don't think the king will want to lift your exile if you level his castle."  
  
"It'll be worth it!" Lina shouted.  
  
"Ah, I think you'd better let us in, right now!" Amelia said, looking very nervous.  
  
"Right! Follow me," the Georgin exclaimed suddenly. He took off without waiting to see if the terrible trio followed him. A hope that they weren't going to follow him was quickly dashed as they continued to fight as they trotted right after them.  
  
Georgin nodded to the guards up ahead. "Open the doors! Your life depends on it!"  
  
The guards just snickered in reply. "The king is in a private audience. To interrupt is death!"  
  
"You don't understand! The Enemy of All Who Live is coming! She's demanding to speak to the king or she'll destroy the castle," Georgin blubbered!  
  
The magics in the throne room would leave them disarmed in a hurry. No swords may be brought in except for those carried by the royal line and the royal guard, of course. "Open the doors then!"  
  
With much clatter and groaning of old wood, the great doors opened.  
  
King Daroni looked up in astonishment. He was a portly man, with graying hair. "Is this the fulfillment of your prophecy?" he asked the shadowy form next to him.  
  
"Silence. There are no heirs to the throne. Your throne is safe," the form said as it melded into the shadows.  
  
"Who dares invade the presence of King Daroni now?" the herald cried out.   
  
All of the guards at the door watched in anticipation as the intruders trotted right after Georgin. They blinked in astonishment as both Lina and Gourry passed right through unmolested.  
  
"Impossible! Only royal blood may bring a sword into the throne room," one of the guards cried out. His voice echoed impossibly, filling almost the entire castle.  
  
King Daroni jumped to his feet in a fury. "How dare you say that! Arrest that man! Guards!" Immediately his own private guards trotted over to arrest the impertinent man.  
  
Lina and Gourry skidded to a halt at almost the center of the room. "What's going on?" Lina finally asked as he removed her hands from Gourry's mouth. His mouth snapped back into place.  
  
The king snapped out unthinkingly, "Who are you?"  
  
"I'm Lina Vinrese, daughter of Brys Vinrese!" she shouted out. She blinked in astonishment. She hadn't meant to use her real name. Or say her father's name, for that manner.  
  
An old advisor almost had a stroke as his eyes bugged out. "She's standing on the Stone of Truth! No lie may be spoken upon it!"  
  
Lina and Gourry looked down at their feet, noting that, yes, they were standing on a large, white flagstone that looked different from the rest of the hall.  
  
"Stone of Truth?" Gourry asked. Uh, oh.  
  
"She must be a sorceress! She has profaned the holy Stone of Truth to allow her to speak such lies! Name yourself!" the king screamed. How? How was it possible?  
  
"Yes! Both of you, speak of your true selves! Let your lies be shown! No power can long trick the Stone of Truth! It was given to Zephelia in ancient times by dragons. No human magic is that powerful!" the advisor called out. He pointed the staff at them, the blue gem in it glowing to match the light that suddenly appeared in the flagstone.  
  
"No! Guards, kill the pretender to the throne! Kill her now!" King Daroni screamed. If this Lina was who he thought she might be, his carefully wrought plans were going to come to ruin.  
  
"You'll have to go over my dead body!" Gourry shouted. He looked ready to face down any and all who came at him. His sword nearly glowed with the light  
  
"Stop! The Stone of Truth cannot be lied to! Let it reveal the truth of the rightful monarch of Zephelia! Speak! You can not keep silent while truth is sought!" the advisor shouted.  
  
Light erupted beneath from the Stone of Truth. Lina floated into the air, arms held out wide as her head was thrown back. "My name... is... Lina Vinrese, daughter of Brys Vinrese. Sister to Luna Vinrese, Knight of Flare Dragon Cepheid! I am the Dragon Spooker! The Enemy of All Who Live! Bandit Killer! Betrothed to Gourry Gabriev, my Champion! I am also known as Lina Inverse!"  
  
Gourry growled as he fought against the tides of light. "Fine! I will tell you! I am Gourry Gabriev, Champion of Lina Vinrese. I am the Swordsman of Light and of the Royal Line of Mithos!"  
  
The guards looked on in stunned amazement. They looked at each other in bewilderment. They turned to the sound of the great hall doors slamming shut in sudden fear.  
  
King Daroni looked at them from before his throne. "It is a pity. Now I will have to replace all my guards." He pointed his hand forward. "I came today prepared to fight against prophecy. Naga! Destroy them utterly!"  
  
Manic laughter pealed across the vaulted room. "Lina Inverse is royalty? How drab and mundane! Oh, King Daroni?" An incredibly buxom woman appeared from behind the throne, wearing an incredibly revealing outfit that seemed to be one part bikini-swimwear and two parts bondage gear with just a smattering of magic-users accouterments. Her black cloak swirled in the air behind her.  
  
"What?" the king snapped.  
  
"You aren't paying me enough to fight Lina Inverse."  
  
"I'll double it," he snapped back to her.  
  
"I'm sorry. Let me make it crystal clear. You don't have enough money to pay me to attack Lina Inverse." Naga the White Serpent said as she walked away. She dropped the bag of coins she been given to the ground. "I don't want to die."  
  
"Nadia? Is that you, sister?" Amelia suddenly asked from just behind Lina and Gourry. She gingerly took a step backwards from the Stone of Truth.  
  
"That lunatic is your sister?" Lina screamed just inches from Amelia's face.  
  
"Well, I think so. But my sister would never wear such an indecent outfit!" the young princess of Saillune.  
  
Gourry just drooled in appreciation of the skimpy outfit, luckily Lina was turned the other way  
  
Naga waved her arms angrily in the air. "I am not a lunatic!"  
  
A tapping interrupted them, bringing their eyes back to the flustered king. "If you don't mind, I have some people to kill here!" he screeched. "Monster, destroy them."  
  
Xellos stepped out of the shadows where he'd been hiding earlier. "Well, kids! Isn't this just an amazing coincidence? Who would have ever thought that I would be here right now?"  
  
"XELLOS?" screamed out Lina, Gourry and Amelia.  
  
"Yes, indeed! Dear me, isn't this all so exciting?" Xellos said while smiling, his eyes safely hidden behind his bangs. The Priest and General of the Mazoku seemed terribly pleased.  
  
"Why... aren't... you... killing them?" King Daroni asked, almost pleading at this point.  
  
"Well, a funny thing about that contract that you and I signed. It had my standard disclaimer and opt-out clause. You know that little part about that the contract is null and void if you tell me to attack someone who has killed a Demon Lord, General or Priest of the Mazuko?" the Mazoku inquired.  
  
"Yes? Why are you bringing up technicalities right now?" Daroni asked. He had a creeping sensation of dread.  
  
"Well, little Lina here helped kill several of said entities. So your contract with me is now null and voided. Ta ta!" Xellos tapped his staff and disappeared.  
  
Daroni turned away from where Xellos had disappeared. "I am betrayed by even the monsters. I will not say that I did not enjoy myself. I was a good king, I think. But you will have to pry the crown from my cold fingers."  
  
Lina just smirked as she pulled her sword. "Oh, come on. I don't want to kill you, you know. I'm sure there's lots of room in the dungeon."  
  
"I have done too much, gone too far. I traded my soul for enough power to destroy even you, Lina Inverse." The king stood up tall, even as shadows covered the windows. "I invoke thee, demons bound to my body! Destroy this woman who would steal my throne!"  
  
Scarlet energy erupted from his sleeves; glowing Mazuko appeared from with the fire. In moments, the Slayers were surrounded by a veritable horde of demons! It looked terribly bad for them.  
  
For about a second.   
  
I could go into great detail about the battle. How Lina cast a great spell, Gourry defeated Mazuko with only a normal sword and the royal sisters of Saillune held there own against the fiends. But that isn't what happened.  
  
Gourry ended the fight before it even started by throwing his sword swiftly and true, skewering the false king. Daroni's surprise was absolute. With his death, the summoned Mazuko faded as if there were just a dream.  
  
Lina's jaw nearly hit the floor. "How?"  
  
"Well it was just plain obvious. Take him out, and all the demons go away. I have been traveling with you for quite a while, you know," Gourry said modestly, shrugging. "It's elementary."  
  
"Long live the Queen!" the soldiers suddenly shouted, as they realized their early and grizzly deaths had been adverted with the sudden arrival of the unknown royal princess.  
  
-  
  
"Uh, uh. No way. I'm the younger sister, anyways. Go get my sister to be queen." Lina looked quite perturbed.  
  
"It's probably for the better. Lina really isn't meant for the quiet life. Besides, I doubt you'd have a castle in a week!" Gourry exclaimed brightly.  
  
"Gourry! How dare you!" the Bandit Killer cried out in shock.  
  
The swordsman thought about it for a second. "You're right. There probably wouldn't be much of the kingdom left-URK!"  
  
"I'll show you!" Lina yelled as she tried to feed Gourry his foot. From behind his back.  
  
"Mommy! I give!"  
  
"We will, of course, follow the princess's wish and approach your older sister. You say she's a waitress in a village to the east?"  
  
Amelia nodded enthusiastically, as she did almost everything. "Yes, sir! She is also the Knight of Cepheid too!"  
  
"Well, now that is settled, Gourry and I are going to head out. We were supposed to end up at Altas City."  
  
"Oh-hohohohohoho! I absolutely must accompany you- Hey! Get back here, Lina!" Naga cried as she ran after the frantically running away Lina, who was still holding onto Gourry's foot and dragging him along.  
  
"Bye!" Amelia shouted as she chased after the party.  
  
In moments, they were disappearing over a hill and into the dawn. From out of a tree's shadow, a familiar robed figure stepped into the light. He carried his customary staff with its little red blood-gem at the top of it. He seemed to look right at the audience.  
  
"Ah! I bet this is where you expect me to suddenly reveal why the Mazuko were behind the fall of the Vinrese. Sorry to disappoint you, but that is a secret!" Xellos chortled as he watched the Slayers running off. "I just love doing that!"  
  
  
  
----  
  
  
  
Arthur Hansen 


End file.
